Stringed musical instrument.



M. CAMPANELL.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLxcATIoN FILED DEC. 22. 1 915.

l 1 85,980. Patented une 6, 19MB.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

,TTmRNEY M. CAMPANELLA.

STRiNGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATioN man 150.22, 191s.

1,185,980.` Patented June 6,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTURNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIO CAMPANELLA, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Applicatinn filed December 22, 1915.

ToaZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARIO CAMPANELLA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Bualo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in guitars, violins, banjos and other stringed instruments. Its principal object is to increase the resonance or loudness of such instruments and at the same time render their tone sweet and mellow.

A further object is to so construct the instrument as to afford ready access to such members as require renewal or readjustment from time to time.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a face view of a guitar embodying the invention. Fig. 2 isy a fragmentary side elevation thereof, partly in section, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections, on the correspondingly numbered lines, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a modified construction of the instrument.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The instrument has a hollow body 1 to which is secured the neck 2 having the usual keys for tightening the strings 3. The latter are attached to a tail-piece 4 of any ordinary construction and pass over the .customary bridge 5. The body 1 may be circular, as shown, or oval, pear-shaped, or of any appropriate form. It is provided with a comparatively thin head or front plate 6, preferably of wood, similar to the front plate of a guitar, upon which the bridge 5 rests and which has a sound-emitting opening 7. Arranged in rear of this front plate and spaced therefrom is a head 8 of parchment or sheepskin, similar to that `of a banjo. This head is suitably supported on or in the body 1, and the vibrations of the front plate are transmitted thereto by an interposed bridge, post or equivalent member 9 bearing against said plate and said head vremote from their marginal portions. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the parchment head is stretched over a hoop or frame 10 removably arranged within the Patented J une 6, 1916.

serial No. 68,114.

body '1, so that it may be readily withdrawn for tightening, repairing or renewing the head, when necessary. The parchment head may be stretched upon the hoop 10 by a band 11 and clamping bolts 12 of any suitable or -well-known construction. The bolts shown 1n the drawings engage lugs 13 secured to the hoop and their hooked ends embrace the notchedupper edge of the stretching band 11.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the body or wall 1 is provided at suitable intervals with internal blocks 14 having shoulders or seats 15 against which the stretching band 11 bears and against which it is clamped, preferably by a removable bar 16 secured to a pair of said blocks and extending diametrically across said hoop. These blocks may extend throughout the depth of the body 1 and the two to which the bar 16 is screwed or otherwise secured are provided with notches 17 which receive its ends. The outer edge of the hoop 10 is preferably flush with the corresponding edge of the body and provided with notches 18 which receive said clamping bar, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

The back of the body 1 is preferably closed by a covering plate 19 of wood or other suitable material which is removably secured to the blocks 14 by screws 20 oir other fastenings. This back plate has one or more sound-emitting apertures 21. This plate protects the parchment head from injury. Upon removing said back plate and the cross bar 16, the hoop 10 with the parchment head can be withdrawn from the body of the instrument to tighten or adjust the head or renew it, this being done without disturbing the strings 3, the tail-piece 4 or the bridge 5.

An instrument of this construction has a louder and more brilliant tone than a guitar, while retaining` the sweetness of the guitartone. This effect is due to the combination of the parchment-head with the lwooden front plate of the body, the parchment increasing the resonance of the instrument and the front plate modifying and mellowing the otherwise harsh and coarse tone of the parchment.

By inclosing the parchment head and its supporting hoop within the body, the clamping bolts 12 are concealed and the instrument presents as smooth and sightly an appearance as an ordinary guitar. This construction also permits the body 1 of the instrument to be made comparatively thin and resonant, inasmuch as the strain of the clamping bolts is received by the hoop 10.

In the modified construction of the instrument shown in Fig. 7 the parchment head 8a is stretched over the rear edge of the body l instead of being applied to a separate internal hoop or frame. In this case the stretching band 11a and the clamping bolts 12 are on the outside of the body. In this embodiment, as well as in the construction irst described, the vibrations of the Wooden liront plate 2 are transmitted to the parchment head by a bridge or post 9a.

While my invention is herein shown and described in connection with a guitar-like instrument, it is equally applicable to various other stringed instruments.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body provided with a front plate, a bridge for the strings resting on said front plate, a parchment head arranged in rearof said plate, and means bearing against said plate and said head remote from their marginal portions for transmitting the vibrations or' said plate to said head.

2. A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body provided with a front plate, a frame removably arranged in said body and spaced from said plate, a parchment head applied to said frame, and a covering plate removably secured to the back of said hollow body.

3. A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body provided with a front plate and internal seats spaced from said plate, a removable frame bearing against said seats and having a parchment head, and means for clamping said frame against said seats.

et. A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body provided With a front plate and internal seats spaced from said plate, a removable frame bearing against said seats and having a parchment head, and a bar removably secured to the body and extending across the back of said frame.

5. A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body provided with a front plate and internal blocks having shoulders spaced from said plate,l a frame bearing against said shoulders and having a parchment head, and a bar extending across the back of said frame and removably secured to a pair of said blocks.

MARIO CAMPANELLA. l

Copies of thin patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner afluente, Washington, D. C. 

